Wearing scrubs in public...

[HappyNurse2005, RN]

I was reading the paper this morning, and this topic was mentioned in teh "Ask Marilyn" column. The question and answer was this

"A question has been bothering me since I moved to a city that is home to some of the finest hospitals in the world. When I use public transportation, I see people wearing scrub suits to work. Is this acceptable? I had thought employees were supposed to change into scrubs provided at the hospital in order to leave outside germs at the door"-

and her answer

"You're right. I've noticed the same phenomenon in other cities, too. If those people are hospital employees they are endangering patients and should be reported to hospital authorities. Another growing problem is scrubs being stolen and word in other places, such as the subway, to convey an impression of respectability. Anyone seen wearing scrubs outside an appropriate environment should be regarded with caution"

What do you think?

WHen i was a student, so recently, we had to wear our scrubs into the hospital, we were told not to change at the hospital. Here I saw the OB nurses and OR nurses were the only ones who had uniforms provided to them to change into at the hospital.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Yep - in my hospital - its only surgery and L&D, NICU too. Otherwise, the rest of us would run around naked on our way to work - waiting for the hospital to provide us with scrubs - not a great visual.

[capgirl]

I am going to email parade magazine I think, since this is just another thing that chips away at our image.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Yep - in my hospital - its only surgery and L&D, NICU too. Otherwise, the rest of us would run around naked on our way to work - waiting for the hospital to provide us with scrubs - not a great visual.

I buy my own scrubs and I work in a small rural hospital - I get to pick what I want to wear. We don't have special scrubs for L&D.

I don't want the hospital to provide my scrubs - then I would have to wear what they pick out. Blech.

I do understand the infection question though . . . . here's one that has always bothered me . . . . the OR crew comes onto the floor to get a patient all dressed up in their OR stuff complete with the booties and all . . .and then take the pt into the OR w/o changing . . . doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of wearing OR gear?

steph

[HappyNurse2005, RN]

Capgirl-

sorry, I didn't see your post first

[capgirl]

Don't you think it's inflammatory though to say anyone in scrubs should be regarded with caution?

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Anyone seen wearing scrubs outside an appropriate environment should be regarded with caution

Maybe this will help strangers to avoid asking for advice from someone in scrubs at the local Wal-Mart.

[PicklesRN, RN]

Maybe this will help strangers to avoid asking for advice from someone in scrubs at the local Wal-Mart.

NOTHING will EVER stop that! The bakery lady once stopped me and asked me questions that should have been directed to her GYN doc.

I still love the response from an OB/GYN at a party once. He was there with his wife enjoying the evening and a woman approched him and started asking him medical questions. He suggested she remove her clothes, lay on the table (table with all the food spread out) and he would examine her.

HA! She was mortified. I was laughing so hard I thought I'd bust.

Any bets she'll never do that again?

[Nesher, BSN, RN]

Just one more thing.

Our OR/NICU areas get scrube provided for them.

We all wear our own-but if we were coated in some type of nastiness - you bet we get a pair of OR scrubs to change into - and yes sometimes those OR scrubs get woven into the wardrobes of nurses. They are pretty comfortable. I've slept in my OR type scrub pants!

[nurse_ange1]

I too am a new grad... I find the "regarded with caution" comment a bit harsh. However, at the hospital we had our clinicals at we were allowed to wear our uniform to clinical but we had to wear street shoes in and change to our nursing shoes. At the end of the day we were to change into street clothes and back into our street shoes. This was the hospital policy. Makes sense from an infection control issue... especially when we have had times when the hospital is closed to visitors because of the flu.

[GLJorgeRN]

Are there any hospitals that do provide scrubs to all nursing departments? I've never worked in any that did. I've only had to wear hospital provided scrubs in OR or in Outpatient surgery center OR.

[shammy]

When I worked in the hospital there was no policy per se. The hospital did provide scrubs for the OR staff only.

But for my own practice I don't wear my scrubs (or work shoes) out in public for infection control reasons. One is I don't want to take any germs to work with me. But then going home I don't want to spread the germs collected at work around to the public. I don't take public transit... never really thought about it. But I don't think I would want to sit on the bus/subway in my scrubs and like to think I would change at work.